With many routers capable of supporting OpenVPN, and many mobile carriers not supporting unlimited data, and, also, selling your data, is there a way to prevent mobile carriers from selling your data, while they only offer ridiculously expensive service charges, with inferior allocation of internet bandwidth?

If you have a large allocation, or unlimited Internet service at home, there is a way to both prevent your mobile carrier from seeing what you are doing online, and keep your data safe, using your own equipment at home. And, if you are wary of your ISP, at home, spying on your data, and reselling it, you can, also, go a step further and use an outbound VPN in your router that would encrypt all your outgoing data, even if it is set to somewhere else in the same country.

What are some of the benefits of this kind of VPN operation?

First, access to all the same content you are used to. Netflix is regionally locked, but you pay for it in one country, while you are visiting another country. Connecting home means you can watch your Netflix, or other subscription services with all the same shows you are used to.

Second, accessing services you are used to. Multiplayer aside, accessing Steam, iTunes, and other services in the wrong regional area and trying to buy something may cause some issues with your account. Using a VPN that places you at the same address prevents issues such as false alerts for fraud. Provided you are connected to your network, and the outbound IP address is for your country, most companies won't wrongfully class valid transactions by you, as fraudulent.

What do you need?

First, a compatible router. While, there are many routers that support OpenVPN, the list is constantly changing. I am using Asus RT-AC56U router with the firmware version 3.0.0.4.382.18991.

Second, a mobile device with OpenVPN installed.

Optionally, a VPN service that your router uses to hide all your traffic, mobile and home. It is important to know, that the technique explained here does not place your home router traffic outside the country, but only obscures it from your ISP and mobile carrier.

How does one setup OpenVPN on the router?

If you have an Asus router, or other router that has the OpenVPN feature, head over to the menu, normally under the VPN settings option. You will have to enable the feature, and create a username and password created for them.

Now, there are plenty of settings you can use, but for this to work, under the type of VPN access, you will have to indicate Internet and Local Network, or Custom, otherwise all access will be restricted to inside the network, defeating the point of this episode. Your router will, also, need a DDNS server as most home IP addresses are subject to change. The DDNS server service will help connect you to the correct router. After everything is setup you will, also, export a OpenVPN configuration file.

This application configuration file, combined with the username and password can be used with any variant of the OpenVPN client. This applies to desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, etc. Depending on the device, getting the configuration file on it may be the issue, though the OpenVPN client in iOS can get data from OneDrive, and other cloud drive services. Simply load it, while already having the OpenVPN client installed, add it the VPN settings following the application's instructions, enter the username and password you assigned yourself, and connect.

Once, that is done, you will be connected to your own network, anywhere you go, provided the VPN server is connected and active.

From your router, you may, also, want to protect your outbound data, by hiding it from your ISP, using services like PureVPN. Head over to the VPN client option of your router, and enter the details for your VPN connection. These details include VPN server or configuration file, username, password, etc. Once that is setup, all devices in your network will be protected from network spying from your ISP, and others, and no applications need to be installed on each device. All eternal devices, such as your mobile phone, connecting to your router remotely, will, also, have their traffic masked by the secondary, and be it optional, VPN tunnel. This last step is for those who are either worried about spying by others, or who wish to cripple others' ability to profit from your online activities, provided the VPN service does not log your data.

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Mirror's Edge

Playing as Faith Connors, you are a runner, a type of courier who transports physical mail from the sender to the destination, running and jumping from building to building using the talents of Parkour. The city experiences very little crime due to a ever present totalitarian military regime, but on the break of an election, Robert Pope, a mayoral candidate, is found dead, and beside him, Faith's sister, Kate Connors. The story proceeds from their as Faith tries to prove her sister innocent and uncover the conspiracy hidden below the veil of secrecy.

Published on December 17th, 2017

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